Beauty Pick of the Month: Philip Kingsley Elasticizer

Hi everyone, it's that time again.

Last month's Pick of the Month was a storming success - seems like you're all becoming Emma Hardie Moringa Balm fans. If you purchased the supersized version, don't forget to leave a review - we love hearing your feedback.

This month we're bringing you one of my haircare favourites - Philip Kingsley 1 litre Elasticizer. Not only are we offering free P&P but it'll also be available in 4 Easy Pay instalments to help spread the cost.

Plus, on Tuesday 10th April we'll be celebrating the 7th anniversary of Philip Kingsley haircare. Philip will be gracing us with his presence sharing his expert knowledge and you may be in for a treat with selected special Anniversary Prices.

Now back to the star of the month...

Detox your hair with Hairfix

I started my love affair with Hairfix many years ago - their three-step hair programme is amazing! It's so simple to use and helps make all your other haircare products work even better.

You just need to wash with it once a week or every four/five washes and it instantly refreshes your locks - like a facial for your hair!

Stage one cleanses; it doesn't foam up which is a little strange at first. Use two or three pumps, massage it into the hair and rinse after 30 seconds to a minute. You won't see any bubbles wash away - don't worry you haven't done it wrong it's the magic of Hairfix.

Caring for your hair during the frosty months

As we go through the seasons our skin changes and sometimes this isn't for the better, it's then that we need a little helping hand. It's not only our skin that feels the brunt of the cold weather, but also our hair too.

So here are some tips on how to keep your locks looking their very best...

 

 

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Transform your tresses with Percy & Reed haircare

First and foremost, Paul Percival and Adam Reed are hairdressers who have created a renowned salon and brand Percy & Reed.

Tending to the tresses of models, actors, music stars and many more on a daily basis, they have now combined their years of experience and knowledge to create the Percy & Reed haircare range - bringing British individuality and their own style to your hair.

Strictly crazy, highly exciting

I spent Saturday having a fantastic time supporting Lulu at the Strictly Come Dancing show. We were at the BBC studios – the Bruce Broadcasting Corporation as Bruce Forsyth was calling it! Bruce was amazing as always, brilliant and highly entertaining – he manages to hold an audience so well. Bruce and Lulu were definitely the stars of the show.

I took along my best friend Frankie who is also my hairdresser. We had our first job together 25 years ago, and have been friends since then. She works hard so hard in her job and raising her three kids that I wanted to give her a treat.

Before we went I prepared with Lulu's Operation Glam of course – the volumizing Larger than Life shampoo and conditioner which I love and use on a regular basis. I then blow-dried with Hairfix Keratin Spray, which really makes the ends thicker when you’re overdue for a haircut!

I knew that I needed some extra thickness as we would be in there for hours so I used some dry shampoo into the base and roots. I followed this with Lulu Hairspray after I’d put my heated rollers in for some added texture.

A solution for tackling dry, thinning hair...

Q. Hi Alison, I am 43 and have just been told I am in early menopause. My hair is very fine and has been dyed on a regular basis now for 15 years+ and now has become very dry and lifeless, where once it was shiny and bouncy. I also blow dry it everyday to style it, which no doubt contributes to the problem.

I have also noticed recently that it seems to be thinning at the front and small bits are breaking off when I just run my fingers through my hair when it is dry.

I wash my hair every 3-4 days, as it does not need everyday washing. What would you recommend to improve the condition of my hair?

 

A. To help improve the condition of your hair, the best thing to try is Hairfix. We have it in a fab Try Me kit at the moment - choose the fine hair option. This is best used every five or six washes.

On a bath lotion for hormonal eczema...

Q. Hi Alison, I am 45 years old and have just been diagnosed with hormonal eczema. I need a mild shower/bath lotion - what can you suggest?

A. You can use Skin Nourishing Milk Bath and matching body lotion from Elemis. You're also going to love Liz Earle's shower gels, which have natural foaming agents in too. Balance Me's bath and body range also prides itself on using natural ingredients.

So that gives you three different ranges that all use natural foaming agents and their matching body lotions only use plant-based extracts and vegetable oils.

If you find that you're very sensitive, you can cut down to using one product on the body and I'd recommend L'Occitane's Shea Butter. You can actually melt it down and use solely as a body lotion.

If you're worried about what you're using on your body, you should also be worried about what you're using on your hair. Most shampoos don't have natural foaming agents, so I recommend trying the new haircare range Amara from Daniel Field or Liz Earle's Botanical hair range.

For hair that gets greasy and flat quickly...

Q: I'm pregnant at the moment and although my skin is behaving with a mix of Liz Earle and L'Occitane, my hair gets greasy very quickly and goes flat within hours of styling it.

I've just ordered the Try Me of Ojon - is this the right thing to be using or would the Philip Kingsley or another range be more suitable? I'm concerned that the mask may be too heavy for my hair at the moment.

Alison: If the Ojon Try Me contained the Hydrating Shampoo then I think it will be too rich for you. The one that would suit you would be Philip Kingsley Body Building Shampoo for fine hair, which should help to keep your hair cleaner for longer, preventing so much grease from coming through. If you have any form of coloured or treated hair, then you can choose the Fine Colour Shampoo & Conditioner.

You could also try using the Philip Kingsley Scalp Tonic which is designed to clean the scalp throughout the day. You can just apply this on a daily basis or when you don't want/have time to wash your hair.

For a sore and flaky scalp...

Q: I've used several shampoos and conditioners from QVC for a flaky itchy scalp, and Ojon too, and none of these help my sore scalp with hard scabs. What can I use please as I'm unable to afford things that are expensive and don't work?
 
Alison: You've already tried one of our most effective formulas, which is the Philip Kingsley Flaky Itchy Scalp. However, there is one thing that you could do before you may need to consult your doctor.

It is possible to soften actual flakes or increased areas of coarse or thickened skin. Before shampooing, soak the scalp in oil. This could be a pure almond, olive or jojoba oil that you can buy from your chemist or supermarket. The trick would be to massage this into the scalp area, particularly where it's driest, and then try one of the shampoos, such as the Philip Kingsley afterwards.

If this doesn't work then you should show your doctor next time you have an appointment.

On what shampoo to use when swimming...

Q: I was wondering if you could tell me what shampoo to use. I've just started swimming three times a week and I don't want to damage my hair.

Alison: For a start, I'd suggest applying HairFix to your hair once a week to help take any chlorine residue out of your hair.

As your regular shampoo and conditioner, I would recommend using the A'kin Colour Protect Haircare Set to suit your hair colour, as these formulas won't dry your hair out. With this I would also suggest using the A'Kin Hair Therapy Duo which contains a Leave-in Conditioner and a Masque.

Dampen your hair before swimming and apply one of these as a protective agent, as well as using one of them afterwards. This routine should help to prevent your hair from getting so damaged.